In 2013, the town of Lac Mégantic in the providence of Québec, Canada suffered a crude-oil train derailment that destroyed part of their town center. As part of their restructuring plans, the town authorities identified a new energy vision project as a key innovation for future smart, decarbonized cities. In 2014, the Lac-Mégantic vision for the town center district entered the planning stage. Simultaneously, Hydro Québec was planning its own energy transition strategy. The convergence of these two visions resulted in the Lac Mégantic microgrid concept, which was jointly developed over the years that followed. Lac Mégantic and Hydro Québec looked to partner with industry leaders to help them materialize the town’s vision and develop the expertise required for a larger, province wide energy transition based on advanced energy systems and microgrids.